El Dorado County Biographies
This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm
HON. HENRY LARKIN
Of Diamond Springs, was born at Oneida Lake, Madison county, New
York, January 2d, 1826. The discovery of gold brought him early to California.
He crossed the plains and arrived September 1st, 1849. Was Deputy Sheriff from
1852 to 1855, and in 1860 was the Census Marshal for El Dorado. He was elected
to the State Senate in 1869; was candidate for Congress in 1875. On the 19th of
June, 1878 was elected to represent his county in the Constitutional Convention,
being elected on the Workingman�s ticket, by a majority of 710 over the
Independent, and 562 over the non-partisan candidate.
Mr. Larkin as a law maker is a decided progressist, when a member of
the Constitutional Convention in 1878, his standpoint towards the anti-coolie
question was characterized by the following article proposed for adoption into
the new Constitution of this State:
Sec. 1. �No person shall be permitted to settle in this State, who
is not eligible to become a citizen of the United States, after adoption of this
constitution.
Sec. 2. �All contracts made with such person or persons coming into
the State contrary to the provisions of the foregoing section, shall be void,
and any person who shall employ such person, or lease, rent or let a house to
him or them, or encourage him or them to remain in the State, shall be fined in
any sum not less than $20, nor more than $1,000.
Sec. 3. �All fines which may be collected for violation of the
provisions of this article, or of any law which may hereafter be passed for the
purpose of carrying the same into execution, shall be set apart and appropriated
to the Common School Fund of the State.
Sec. 4. �The Legislature shall pass laws to carry out the
provisions of this article.�
Historical Souvenir of El Dorado County, California with Illustrations &
Biographical Sketches of its Prominent Men & Pioneers - Oakland, Cal. - Paolo
Sioli, Publisher, 1883. p - 250
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler